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About Stephen Nichols…
Stephen Earl Nichols was born February 19, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio where he was raised primarily by his grandparents for much of his childhood. Stephen has credited his grandfather for teaching him a work ethic that has stayed with him.When Stephen was eight, his mom and new stepfather moved the family to Dayton, Ohio. There, he graduated from Meadowdale High School. Following graduation, he moved to Los Angeles (after turning down an art scholarship to Ohio State University) in order to join the Self-Realization Fellowship Center with the intention of becoming a monk.
After three years, Stephen decided the monks’ life was not for him. Looking for a new path, he turned to acting; after feeling a real connection with the audience during a stage production, Stephen “caught the bug” . He studied at the Los Angeles City College Theater Academy, as well as learning under the guidance of esteemed acting teachers such as Stella Adler, Jack Colvin, and Harry Mastrogeorge. Stephen has also cited actor John Voight as a mentor who helped guide him along the way.
For his stage work, Stephen has been honored with three Drama-Logue Awards and two LA Weekly Theater Awards. He appeared in productions such as Pieces of Time, Delirious, The Cage, Death of a Salesman, The Shadow Box , The Lizard King (in which he played Jim Morrison in his last 36 hours alive), as well as Love Letters during its original run at the Canon Theater in 1990. In 2001 he played Father Sheridan in the U.S. premiere of Joe Pintauro’s “The Dead Boy” in Los Angeles, a role which garnered him a Maddy award for excellence in theatre.In the Spring of 2002, he played Moricet in the Geffen Playhouse Production of “He Hunts”, a farce by Georges Feydeau co-starring Carol Kane and Maxwell Caulfield.
Stephen’s first feature film was Choices, with Demi Moore. He went on to appear in many films, including but not limited to; Witchboard, Heaven’s Tears, Soapdish, Cover Me with Paul Sorvino, A Hard Rain, with John Mahoney, Good Vibrations with Michael York and Beverly D’Angelo, The Glass Cage with Eric Roberts, and Phoenix with Brad Dourif.
Some of his television credits include guest appearances on Crash, She Spies, Empty Nest, Diagnosis Murder, Sisters, In the Heat of the Night, Second Chances, The Nanny, Melrose Place, Matlock, Murder She Wrote, and the miniseries, Around the World in 80 Days with Pierce Brosnan, in which he played outlaw Jesse James.
Stephen has directed several stage productions including Sixty Minutes from L.A, and more recently Birds Do It, both plays written by his wife, Lisa. He also wrote and directed the dramatic short film Get the Dime (a director’s pick at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films).
A continuing synopsis of Stephen’s stage, film, and television filmography can be found HERE.
Stephen is best known for his role of Steve (Patch) Johnson on the daytime serial Days of our Lives. His original portrayal (1985–1990) earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role and five Soap Opera Digest Best Actor Awards. Steve and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) remain one of the most beloved supercouples in daytime television history.
After a brief stint on NBC’s Santa Barbara as Dr. Skylar Gates (1992), Stephen later accepted the role of Stefan Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital in 1996, a role he played until January of 2002. Along with Mary Beth Evans (playing Kayla), he returned to the role of Steve (Patch) Johnson on Days of our Lives in June 2006 after a 16 year absence. Both characters were written off canvas in February of 2009, in part due to severe budget cuts. Stephen currently stars in the role of Tucker McCall on the highly acclaimed CBS daytime serial The Young and The Restless. His first airdate was January 27, 2010.
Personal stats include:
Height: 5′ 11″
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Green
Married to Lisa
Children – Vanessa, Aaron and Dylan
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